Title: Running
Characters/Pairings: Fred/George
Rating: Teen
Summary: George wasn’t the strong one
Word Count: 955
Beta: None so please excuse an errors.
Warning: Post DH, reference to incest, canon character death
“Did you really think you’d escape me?”
The words followed him mockingly as he stumbled down the sandy stairs. Falling to his knees, he groaned when a splinter embedded itself deep into his skin.
“I’m never going to let you go, George. You should stop running, stop trying to be free. Don’t you love me anymore?”
“Always love you,” George muttered, refusing to look over his shoulder as he got to his feet, rocks and sand rough against his palms. He was almost there. He could see the water ahead of him, the vast emptiness of the ocean. If he could just reach the edge, feel water on his feet, he could swim for it.
“Then why do you try to escape?” Fred asked from behind him, close enough to touch if he wanted. George was convinced he could feel warm breath on his neck, even more determined to escape at the knowledge of what his twin was doing.
“Stop it,” George growled, shrugging off the hand he was certain was reaching for his shoulder. If Fred touched him, his resolve would crumble as easily as the toppled castle in the sand ahead. He wasn’t the strong one, after all. Fred was the strong one, the one with most the plans, the thinker. George, though, was the more emotional, feeling before thinking. They’d been the perfect balance.
“Is this what you want, George? Want me to force you to stay, to remember my touch, to make you be strong?” Fred asked as George stumbled down a few more steps, the bottom closer. “You used to like when I touched you. Do you remember that, love? Lying in your bed, moaning and begging for more. Tangled in the sheets, cock so bloody hard I could never not taste it, arching and guiding and pushing and then crying my name as I swallowed your come. I remember it, George. I’ll never forget the sight of you writhing before me, hands white as they grip the sheets, your eyes knowing it’s wrong but wanting more, wanting me, pressing against me as I ride your arse so hard you can’t walk for days. So bloody amazing. I miss that, miss your warmth and smile. You need to smile again, George.”
“No,” George moaned weakly, blue eyes closing as he fell to his knees on the next to last step. Vivid images flashed in his mind. So much more than just brothers. Soulmates, Fred had said one sticky night years ago when they’d been lying spooned together, bodies covered in sweat and seed. Forever. You and me, mine always.
“Poor love,” Fred cooed from behind him, his voice far more gentle than it had been. “You know now, don’t you? You finally realize what I’ve been trying to tell you for the past four months.”
“I’ll never be free,” George whispered. He could run but he wasn’t going to be able to hide from the truth, from the fact that he didn’t want to escape no matter how scared he was at accepting the truth. “I don’t want to let you go, Fred. Hurts too much to let you go. Wanna be yours forever, like we said.”
“I’m not going anywhere, brother,” Fred said softly. “You kept me here. It’s your fault I stayed. You can’t keep running from me, from the truth. Always mine, love. Never escape me or my love, no matter how hard you run and how far. I’ll always be here, always be part of you. We’re soulmates, remember?”
“Can’t follow me in the water,” George muttered. “Can swim until the world goes dark, until I join you. Be together again then. The right way and not like this.”
“Can’t let you do that, George. Not your time, you know? More ahead of you. Love and laughter is just waiting, but you’re too bloody blind and trying so desperately to escape that you don’t see.” Fred sighed, and George could swear that he felt fingers ruffling his hair but he knows it’s probably the wind.
“I hate it,” he whispered, rubbing at his eyes as he stared at the dark horizon. “Doesn’t feel right without you being here with me. Like I’m missing something even when I know you’re still in my head and my heart.”
“I know, George. I hate it, too. But you’ve gotta pull yourself together. Mum’s already lost one son. She can’t lose you, too. We’re always gonna be together, and we’re always gonna have the memories of what we shared, but you have to start moving on. Doesn’t mean you have to forget me. Never gonna do that. Forever is still ahead of us, when it’s your time to join me, but that’s not for a long time, thank Merlin. Don’t try to rush it, though, because that’d hurt me worse than any of this. I’ll wait for you. You know how patient I can be.”
“I’ll try, Fred,” he finally promised, wrapping his arms tight around himself as his face got wet from the tears he can’t help shedding. “For you, I’ll try. Just love you so much.”
“I love you, too, brother.” Fred was beside him now, but George doesn’t look because he knows that he won’t see anything. He just missed him so much, and it would be so easy to just go and join him, escape into nothing so it stopped hurting and feeling so awful. That wasn’t what Fred wanted, though, and George knew he needed to get himself together or else Fred really would stay to haunt him. Fred sighed beside him and George could swear he felt something brush against his face as Fred whispered, “You’ve gotta live for both of us now, love.”
End